Rahul assumes mantle with fiery speech, Congress hopeful for 2014

The Congress party Sunday wholeheartedly endorsed the decision to officially name Rahul Gandhi the party's no.2 and voiced optimism it could emerge victorious in 2014 if it worked in "the right way" and is "united".

A day after the Congress Working Committee, the party's highest policy-making body, unanimously passed a resolution naming Rahul Gandhi the vice president, over 1,200 delegates of the All India Congress Committee at the 'Chintan Shivir' here raised their hands to endorse the decision.

Many party leaders and members of the youth wings clapped and raised pro-Rahul Gandhi slogans and demands that he be made the party's prime ministerial candidate in 2014.

Rahul Gandhi, who sat on the floor along with his mother and party chief Sonia Gandhi and Prime Minister Manmohan Singh kept smiling. He later stood up and thanked everyone with folded hands.

Image: Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi, Congress President and her mother Sonia Gandhi and other party leaders at All India Congress Committee (AICC) session.